Stamp canceling machine



April 29, 1930. o. F. LEFEBVRE V1,756,647

v STAMP CANCELING MACHINE A Filed June 22, 1928 3 sheets-sheet ll Milli'JW' 'Il H" l' i |"lll" `n.

7 I '55% in April 29, 1930. o.-f=. LEFEBVRE 1,756,647

STAMP CANCELING MACHINE Filed June 22, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l v J. y"lh' /nVen/"or l' 'lr 57 A ClfLe/Pebvr'e 73 l1* 1| Y By El "0* M Patentedpr. 29, 1930 UNITED s'rAiEsl OMER FnANoIs LEFEBVRE, oF MONTREAL, QUEBEC,CANADA STAMP CANCELING MACHINE Application filed June 22, 1928. SerialNo. 287,514.

The present invention relates to improvements in stamp cancelingmachines for the purpose of vsimultaneously canceling the stamps uponmail matter and indicating thereon the name of post-office, the dateyear and other desired information.

The main object of the invention is to provide a simple and effectivemachine of the character described to uniformly, effectively and quicklycancel the stamps on mail matter. Another object of the invention is toprovide a machine of this character, that will indiiierently cancel thestamps on mail matter of different size and thickness.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a machine inwhich the canceling operation begins intermediate of' the length of thepostal matter and extends towards the edge thereof, thus providing foruniformity of printing.

The invention is hereinafter fully described and Claimed and isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a stamp canceling machine embodying theinvention.

Figure 2 is a side eleva-tion View of the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan View of the machine in itsnon-printing position.

Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 3, showing the machine in theposition when it begins printing. L

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary underside plan view of the means forcontrolling or timing the printing operation.

Figure 6 is an enlarged top plan view of the printing roller stamp.

Figure 7 isa longitudinal section on line 7-7 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a top view of the roller stamp, the cover orlid having beenremoved to disclose the inner mechanism when the stamp units are intheir locked position.

Figure` 9 is a similar view to Figure 8, illustrating the stamp units intheir unlocked position so that they may be removed.

Figure l0 is a side elevation view of Figure 6.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.i Y

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a base plate to support the mailmatter and mounted on the brackets 2 on the casing 3, in which islocated the gear train, said casing being supported upon the base 4 inwhich may be located vthe electric mot0r'5. vUponfsaid base plate l isprovided a vertical wall 6 lo-` cated adjacent one end and the verticalwalls 7 located adjacent the oppositeend of said base. Adjacent the wall6 is provided the space 8 upon which the mail matter is placed, forfeeding into the machine saidspace being closed on one side by theaforesaidwalls 6 and on the other side by the diagonal wall 9 and 10 area plurality of parallel and diagonal sharp ribs upon which the said mailmatteriengages, to insure for an even and regular feeding to themachinev and preventing the mail matter from backing the wall 9.Projecting through the suitable openings in the wall 6 are provided thefeeding rollers 11 and l2, said feeding roller 12 being preferablycovered with rubber, and is mounted opposite the feeding ,flexiblefingers 13 which are resiliently mounted upon the crank leversY 14fulcrumed at 15 andV held in operative position by means kof theadjustable springs 16.

The mail matter is preferably placed parallel to the wall 6,'the pieceadjacent the wall being first engaged by the roller 11 and carried inbetween the feeder fingers 13 and roller 12 which feeds the piece tothe-'driving rollers 18, 19, 2O and 21 which have for purpose thedriving of the mail piece to the stamp roller 22 for the cancelingVoperation.

The stamp roller 22 which will be hereinafter fully described isprovided with a diagonal cut-out portion 23 and 24 is a companionmovable pressure roller also provided with a diagonal cut-out portion25, whereby, when said stamp and pressure rollers are revolved, asdisclosed in Figure 3 of the drawings, a gap or space 26 is provided, inorder that the mail piece 17 may freely passtherethrough toapproximatively mid-way of its length when pressed forward by thedrivingrollers, before being engaged by said stamp vided a` roller pin 49VVwhich, upon rotation and pressure rollers 22 and 24 and the stampingand cancellation begins. 1

Adjacent said stamp and pressure rollers 22 and 24 are provided theguiding rollers 27. and 28 whose object is to carry the mail piece 17after being canceled ont-oy the stacker 29. Suitableguideways 30 and 31are alsopro vided between the rollers to eliminate `the crumpling of themail pieces. The roller 28 tis" preferablyhniounted on' the flexiblesup.-A

port 32.

The stamp roller which is mounted upon Y the stamp shaft 33`iscontrolled by the'timing finger 34 which is locatedbetween the rollers18 and 19, and is pressed outwardly Y by the mail piece as it is.pressed forward and remains in this position until the piece has fullypassed. Immediately after the said piece leaves the rollers 18 and 19,it disen- 1 gages the linger 34 which dropsinto its pri mary position,which simultaneously actuatesthe Vshaft 35 upon which it is mounted andmoves the fulcrumed Vlever 36 spring held at 37. The said lever 36presses downwardly thepawl-lever38 which passes through the spring held'vguiding bracket 39 and is pivotally connected at 40 to one end of thelever 41 which in turn is pivoted at 42.

The end of the lever 41 is bent Vat 43 to actuate the clutch member 44mounted upon the stamp shaft 33..V The lever 41 is thus actuated bymeans of the dent-or pawl 45 which, when the lever 38 is presseddownward by the lever 36, engages the ratchet wheel 46 mounted upon theshaft 47. lThe movement imparted'to the lever 41 releases same fromContact with the clutch, which causes the drum48 to come into contactwithV saidclutch to actuate the stamp shaft 33 and 40' stamp roller y22.As itwill be'readily under-V stood thestamp is operated only after theendof the postal piece 17 has left vcontact with the timing finger34,thus insuring a uniform and even stampingv and cancellationof thepost-al matter. On the clutch 44 is proof said clutch, engages the,V cammember 50 thereby returning the lever 41 in its primary; position andalso carrying bent end 43 in 5'0i yably connected to the motorv 5. Therollers 19 and 21 are mounted upon thecfleXible spring held supportingbracket 55. VThe stamp roller 22 isprovided with the side walls 56 andtop and bottom plates 57. @ne side of said roller is flat and open at58, and 59 is one or more suitable openings in which are located theremovable stampunits 60 and 61. The saidV stamp roller is vprovided witha stub-shaft 62 upon which is mounted the stamp unit support -63and onone side .thereof isprovided a plate 64 hav- .ing a hook portion 65adapted to engage a recess 66 in one of the stamp units 60.

The open portion 58 of the Ystamp roller ispreferably closed by theplate 67 which is hinged at 68"and spring held at 69, so as to lnormally close said door or plate 67. said plate 67 is closed, a lug 70thereonis made to `engage a corresponding. recess 71 Vinl .the side ofthe stamping unit.; AIt wlllithereforef readily be understoodV thatv'when theplate 67 is closed, the stamp units'60- are lockedz in theirrespective position, and when said door or plate 67 is opened, thelocking. lug 70 is disengaged from the recess and thereby-uit` n locksthe said stamp unit for the purpose of Aremoving them to change thehour, dateand month whenever necessary. f The, stampunit 61 ispreferably fixed by `means of .they screw 72. As thestamp bears theyear, ityissupe posed to be changed only from yearitolyear,

and therefore does not require a fastening means that is quicklyunlocked.r y The stamp roller is provided witha projecting tubularportion 73 .which` engages upon the end of the shaft 33-and issuitablylocked thereon by'meansaof` the :pin 74, saidl shaft 33 imparting asuitable. rotationto the stamp roller. f

In the operation of employed in canceling postal-mattenjOne well knownmethod consists in providing a stop7 which controls or'holds' thepostalmatter at its kend until such time as the postalmatter already inthe machine, has'been duly canceled. This methodis most irregularbe' .pcause of the dilculty in adjusting said stop,

which can hardly be depended upon. In the present invention it is ftheApostal-matterv which controls the timing linger, said tim# ing ngerbeing released to operate the stamp roller', only whenthe postal matteris in` its the presentinventionv it is desired to point out that anewmethodis.

proper position for cancellation. It also places all the postal matterwhich may be of any thickness or size in identically` the same.

positiom so that cancellation will be theV same Y on all, thusprovidinguniformityY as well as precision.

The aforesaid described machine is onlya i preferred form of myinventiombut it must be understood that I reserve the rightto make anymodification thereto, providing these modifications fall within thescope of the following claims of novelty. l' f What I claim as .myinvention' is: I Y

1. A stamp-canceling mach-ineconsisting of a stamp roller and a pressurerolleran'd means to automatically stop said rollers until the rear endof postal matter fed thereto passes a predetermined point.

2. A stamp canceling machine consisting of a stamp roller and a pressureroller, means to automatically stop said rollers While feeding postalmatter of varying length thereto and means controlled by said postalmatter to actuate said rollers, so as to print on said postal matterfrom an intermediate portion to one end thereof, substantially asdescribed.

3. A stamp canceling machine consisting of a stamp roller and pressureroller each having a cut-out portion in its periphery, means toautomatically stop said rollers whereby a space is providedtherebetween, means to feed postal matter between said rollers, andmeans to actuate said rollers to cancel said postal matter, said meansbeing controlled by said postal matter and held in inoperativepositionduring such time as said postal matter contacts therewith, substantiallyas described.

4. In a stamp canceling machine, a printing roller, means for feedingmatter of varying lengths to said roller, and means whereby said rollerbegins to print intermediate the length of said matter and continues t0one end thereof.

5. In a stamp canceling machine, a printing roller, an impressionroller, and means controlled by the rear end of matter passing throughsaid rollers to control said rollers to cancel postal matter passingtherethrough.

6. In a stamp canceling machine, a printing roller, means for feedingmatter to said roller, and means whereby said roller prints from a pointintermediate the length of said matter towards' one end thereof, saidmeans being controlled by the rear end of matter being fed to saidrollers.

7. In a stamp canceling machine, means for printing on matter of varyinglengths passing through said machine, and means whereby said machinebegins to print intermediate the length of said matter and continues tothe rear end thereof.

8. In a stamp canceling machine, a printing roller, an impressionroller, a member adapted to be depressed by matter passing through themachine to prevent the turning of said rollers, said member beingadapted upon the passage thereby of the end of said matter to permittheV rotation of said rollers.

9. In a stamp canceling machine, a printing roller, an impressionroller, means for feeding matter to said rollers, a member in the pathof said matter adapted to be defor printingv on matter ofy varyinglengths passing through said machine, and means for beginning theprinting operation a constant distance from the rear end of the matterand continuing toward one vend thereof.

11. In a stamp canceling machine, a printing roller, an impressionroller, means adapted to stop said rollers, means contacting with saidpostal matter, said means causing said rollers to be released andrevolved upon leaving contact with the postalmatter. v i

Signed at Montreal, Quebec, Canada,this 19th day of June, 1929.

OMER FRANQOIS LEFEBVRE.

flected thereby, said member being normally resiliently urged into thepath of said matter, and means whereby the deflection of said memberprevents operation of said rollers, while the return of said member tonormal position permits the operation of said rollers.

10. In a stamp kcanceling machine, means

